MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama baseball combined to score 22 runs on 18 hits in its sweep of Jackson State in Friday's season-opening doubleheader at Stanky Field. The Jaguars won game won, 11-4, and earned an 11-0 win in game two, which was called due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Game One - USA 11, JSU 4
USA racked up 11 hits in its 11-4 win in game one, led by senior right fielder Sean Laird, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored in the opener. Shortstop Brandon Brown, center fielder Taylor White and first baseman Tyler Vick also collected mutliple-hit games with two hits each. Vick, Brown and Zach Grichor also drove in two runs a piece in game one.
Senior right-hander D.D. Hanks pitched 6.0 innings, and allowed just four hits and one run while striking out four to earn the win. Terrance Washington took the loss for JSU in 4.1 innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits.
"This first game wasn't a pretty win, but it was a win," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "D.D. [Hanks] settled down in the fourth inning, and pitched like I've seen him pitch, but early in the game I thought he labored a little bit. A lot of guys from South Alabama got their first taste of playing Division I baseball today. It was good to get a lot of guys in, and at the same time, win two games."
USA used a six-run, five-hit second inning to take control of game one. White doubled to right-center field to drive in Vick, who led off the inning with a single. Laird, who singled earlier in the inning, scored on a balk to give the Jags a 2-0 lead before Adam Heisler singled to drive in White. Third baseman Jake Overstreet collected an RBI after being hit by a pitch to give USA a 4-0 lead. Vick collected his second hit in the inning on a single to left-center field that scored Heisler and Grichor.
Jackson State answered in the top of the third inning when Chad Hall scored on Braneric Holmes' groundout to shortstop.
The Jaguars added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 8-1 lead. Laird led off the inning with a solo home run to left field, and Brown doubled down the left field line to score Brad Hammac, who singled earlier in the inning.
The Tigers scored cut the Jaguar lead to 8-3 in the top of the seventh on a two-run single to right field by third baseman Willie Wesley.
USA answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on two hits. Brown singled to left field to score White, who led off the inning with a base on balls. Grichor then delivered a two-out, two-run home run to left field to give the Jags an 11-3 lead.
Jackson State added a run in the top of the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly from Wesley.
Game Two - USA 11, JSU 0
USA right-hander Garrett Harris pitched 6.0 shutout innings, and allowed just four hits while striking out four to earn his first win at South Alabama.
"Garrett Harris came out of the shoot and pitched well from the first inning," Kittrell said. "I thought he threw well today."
The Jaguars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game two in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run single by Overstreet which scored Clint Reynolds and Heisler.
USA used a six-run second inning to take control of game two. White led off the inning with a double, and later scored on Brown's triple to right-center field. Brown scored on a wild pitch, before junior catcher Brent Tanner delivered the knockout blow, a grand slam over the left field wall, to put the Jaguars up 8-0.
The Jags added a run in the bottom of the third when White led off the inning with a single to right field, and later scored on Brown's groundout to shortstop.
USA rounded out its scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI-single by Tanner and a wild pitch which plated freshman Nolan Earley.
The Jaguars face a quick turnaround Saturday when they travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on Alabama at Sewell-Thomas Stadium at 2 p.m.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
- USA -
NOTES: Heisler's 13-game hitting streak, which he extended in game one, ended in the nightcap when he went 0-for-2 ... Reynolds extended his on-base streak to 23 games, dating back to April 15 of last season, after reaching base in each game of Friday's doubleheader ... Hanks recorded his first win as a starter since 2008 ... Tanner's grand slam in game two was the first by a Jaguar since David Doss' grand slam against UAB on March 7 of last season ... USA moved to 8-0 all-time against Jackson State with the sweep on Friday ... The Jaguars moved to 18-9 in season openers under Kittrell, who won his fifth consecutive season opener Friday afternoon ... USA moved to 28-18 all-time in season openers with Friday's win in game one.
